Fire damages giant MOA Ferris wheel

PHOTO BY LUTGIE BELARMINO/Contributor

MANILA, Philippines—A brief fire Friday morning hit the MOA Eye, the 160-foot-tall Ferris wheel at the SM Mall of Asia grounds in Pasay City.

No one was hurt as the ride was not yet open for the day when the fire started at the motor room, the SM Supermalls management said in a post on Twitter.

The fire, which started at 10:07 a.m. and was put out within seven minutes by responding firefighters, damaged three of its 36 air-conditioned gondolas, according to Fire Officer Jofel Alverno.

A video posted by a netizen on social media showed thick black smoke billowing from the bottom of the wheel before the fire trucks arrived.

Opened in 2011, the MOA Eye can accommodate 216 persons and offers a sweeping vista of Manila Bay.

It is considered one of the largest Ferris wheels in the country. Maricar B. Brizuela